Teenage Drivers and Safe First Cars

July 31, 2006 | By: | Comments (1) | Posted in: Auto

OK, if this quote doesn't make you worried, I don't know what will: "The first years teenagers spend as drivers are very risky. In fact, teen drivers have the highest death rates of any age group. In 1997 alone, more than 5,700 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes, and many more were left severely and permanently injured by crashes.”
Source: Teenagers & Safe Cars

Being the father of a fairly soon-to-be teenager driver, facing the thought of my daughter driving is rather frightening. And although I know I am going have some serious boundaries, revolving around what my daughter can and can't do when she obtains her drivers license, the points below are a very helpful reminder to me about what to do. So I thought they would be of value to others who may be in the same future position I will be in.

What worried parents can do to protect their teens—choose a safe vehicle:

• Avoid vehicles that encourage reckless driving.
Teen drivers not only lack experience, they may also lack maturity. As a result, speeding and reckless driving are common. Sports cars and other vehicles with high performance features, such as turbo charging, are likely to encourage speeding. Choosing a vehicle with a more sedate image will reduce the chances your teen is involved in a speed-related accident.

• Don't let your teen drive an unstable vehicle.
Sport utility vehicles, especially the smaller ones, are inherently less stable than cars because of their higher centers of gravity. Abrupt steering maneuvers—the kind that can occur when teens are fooling around or over-correcting a driver error—can cause rollovers where a more stable car would, at worst, skid or spin out.

• Pick a vehicle that offers good crash protection.
Teenagers should drive vehicles that offer state-of-the-art protection in case they are involved in an accident

• Don't let your teen drive a small vehicle.
Small vehicles offer much less protection in crashes than larger ones. However, this doesn't mean you should put your child in the largest vehicle you can find. Many mid- and full-size cars offer more than adequate crash protection. Check out the safety ratings for mid-size and larger cars.

• Avoid older vehicles.
Most of today's cars are better designed for crash protection than cars of six to ten years ago. For example, a newer, mid-size car with airbags would be a better choice than an older, larger car without airbags. Before you make a final choice on the car your teenager will drive, consult the U.S. Department of Transportation or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

 

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